Vanity
by Reconyz
Summary: Sakura Kinomoto has worked hard all her life for a spot in the most competitive, top-notch corporation: Li Enterprise. When she is assigned to Syaoran Li himself, she finds that he is proud and condescending and soon begins to hate him. However, things are not always what they appear to be. Filled with humor, romance, and drama. Rated T for minor suggestive themes.
1. Metropolis

**A/N:** Hello! This is my first fan-fiction that I am publishing. I would really appreciate feedback of any sort to help me become a better writer. Please enjoy!

**I**

**Metropolis**

With sweat breaking out from every pore in her body, the young lady stared intensely at her palms resting in her lap. Another wave of anxiety rushed through her body and brought several more mental questions that seemed to remain unanswered. In a desperate attempt to relax herself, she took a quick drink of her bottle of water. The office attendant promised her it would only be fifteen minutes of waiting, but as the clock ticked closer to the final minute, she seemed to be a hopeless wreck. It was pointless. I'm not going to get this job, she negatively reminded herself. The thought had scarcely finished crossing her mind before a tall, dark-haired woman, dressed in professional business clothes, stepped out to the hallway.

"Kinomoto Sakura? Your interview will begin now." Her tone was crisp and formal.

The young lady stared at her momentarily, her emerald eyes seeming glazed over. In a second, she snapped back into reality and stood, steadying herself. The interview she had been practicing for over and over again was really about to happen just a few paces away. Sakura managed to relax her mind somewhat and followed the woman to a meeting room. There, she took a seat opposite to a middle-aged man. His face in itself seemed to be so stern that the man appeared incapable of even a polite greeting. Sakura greeted him and gave a confident smile. Now, the moment of truth was about to unfold.

"Good morning," he dryly replied. Sakura didn't feel very strongly about the interview anymore. She laced her fingers together and patiently waited until he said anything else. "Sakura… Ki-no-mo-to. Let us begin. First, please tell me about your past academic achievements and adventure throughout college." His tone was so bland, Sakura was confused as to whether she was terribly bored of him already or still so nervous for the rest of his questions.

She began to answer this question extensively, explaining to him how dedicated she was to studying when she was still in high school, her awards, scholarships, and more. Reminding her that it was wise to avoid long explanations, she ended her narrative with her achievement of four bachelors in finance, project management, marketing, and communications. Mr. Sato, she noticed as she read his name badge, was scribbling something into the clipboard and nodded slowly. Sakura was unsure if he was impressed or bored. Knowing he would not notice, she frowned slightly and gave herself a light pinch. This interview was hopeless either way.

* * *

Sakura Kinomoto sat on her comfortable bed, her head low and several dried tears on her cheek. The room was dim and silent. She gave a quick sniffle and sighed. Things weren't going the way that she wanted them to. She had spent years swimming in a large pile of work and studying, accomplishing several different feats that only several others could achieve before her time, stressing about admissions, and working her rear off in college. And now, her dream of working with such a large and powerful company as Li Enterprise seemed so far away and impossible. As soon as the young girl wiped away another layer of tears that threatened to fall, a rap on the door caught her attention. She quietly mumbled permission for the one to come in and smiled when she saw the gentle eyes of her father, Fujitaka. Even in this state of her agony, she could crack a small grin at his sight. He wore his famous blue apron, obviously just finishing up their dinner for that night, and sat down next to her. Towering over her, still, he wiped another tear from her eyes and calmly collected her hand in his.

"Sakura," he said softly, "how did the interview go? Was it really as nerve-wracking as you predicted?"

"Oh daddy," she frowned, squeezing his hand tightly. "I've never been that nervous. Not even for the Tokyo U entrance test! And that was the hardest thing I've ever done!" Memories of the difficult standardized test flashed into mind, along with how stressed and upset she had been that day. Sakura shook her head slowly and shut her eyes. "There's no possible way that I'm going to be getting that job. What was I thinking, Li Enterprise? And for a first job? As if..." She frowned and hid her face in her hands.

"Well," Fujitaka paused, looking up to think for a slight moment. "My first job was being a teacher, and I am still a teacher now. Sometimes, things happen the way we want them to, and sometimes they don't. You're a responsible girl," he reassured her. "I've seen you get a high GPA, struggle in college, and whatnot. I've seen your cheers and your ASB speeches. I don't think you need to worry. You're fresh out of one of the finest universities in the world! They'll consider you more than others."

Perhaps what her father had said was right. She struggled to accept his words and nodded, seeming at ease. With watery emerald eyes, she glanced at her father and gave a small grin, feeling some strength come back.

"You're a smart girl," he smiled, stroking her cheek with his gentle thumb. It felt very warm against her cold skin. "Just pray that everything will work out soon. When will they call you back about your interview?"

"In a week or so. Until then, I'm sort of a sitting duck." Sakura giggled softly, feeling a sudden spark of happiness once again. This was the work of her father, that she should smile even though she was upset or afraid. He pulled his hand away and grinned.

"At least it's summer." The sunlight peeking through her blinds greeted the two and reminded her of the warm weather outside. "You can be doing a lot right now." Standing up, Fujitaka held out his hand and offered it to his beloved daughter. "Now, let's go eat our dinner before it gets cold!"

Sakura stood, grasping onto her father's hand, and hugged him tightly. They remained this way for a few more minutes before proceeding downstairs to eat their meals.

* * *

A week later, the weather had changed drastically. A storm swept through Tomoeda, Sakura's hometown, and brought several inches of rainfall with it. The humid rain was nearly unbearable. Fujitaka, busy with a business trip to Hokkaido, left Sakura to take care of their home by herself. Sakura was sweeping the hallway when the telephone rang loudly throughout the entire house. Knowing she had to answer it because her father was out, she set aside the broom and walked towards the living room. She brought the machine to her ear, curious to who would be calling her on a stormy Saturday.

"Hello, Kinomoto residence?" She politely answered.

"Is this Sakura Kinomoto?" A familiar voice came on the other line. Sakura deduced it must be Mr. Sato from Li Enterprise, surprising her. At this, she straightened herself out and listened intently.

"Y-yes," she stammered, hardly believing they had called her back. A sudden pang of anxiety stabbed at her heart with the thought of rejection, and she grew even more nervous. Again, it seemed that her palms were oceans of sweat.

"This is Mr. Sato from Li Enterprise," he remained bored and terribly bland, "and we are very impressed to inform you that you have been accepted as secretary. We are still sorting out who you will be assisting when you are working. We will be starting you a week from next Monday."

Sakura couldn't understand the rest of his words. She was too happy, jumping up and down, dancing around, and smiling too much to fully comprehend him. To be a secretary at such a highly praised company as a first job just seemed too good to be true. Quickly looking at the family calendar just above the phone, Sakura smiled and replied that she would show up at 8:00 sharp Monday morning. The phone call ended and soon the young lady was humming her way throughout the whole house.

Surprisingly, two hours later, the front door swung wide open slowly and allowed a weary Fujitaka back into his home. Sakura had just finished cleaning and took a seat on their comfortable sofa in the living room. His entrance gave her a start, shocking her so badly she sat up quite violently. She sighed in relief when she saw her father's kind brown eyes and went to give him a hug. The two embraced before her smile gave away the happy news from just a short while ago.

"Welcome home, dad!" Sakura greeted. He returned this with a gentle smile and nodded.

"Hello, Sakura." Walking towards the kitchen, he set down his bags on one of their tables. "Were things okay while I was gone?"

"Yes," she followed, "they were fine. Li Enterprise called me back today…" she said softly.

Fujitaka turned around to face her. With a surprised and curious expression, he asked her, "What did they say?"

Sakura failed to mask her immense amount of joy in her smile. "Daddy, they're hiring me! I start work in a week!" She walked over to him and held his hardworking hands in her own, squeezing them gently.

Her father let out a small chuckle and quickly wrapped her in his arms for a tight embrace. There was no doubt that he felt the utmost amount of pride and happiness for his own daughter. Her future was about to begin, after all. "Sakura," he could hardly say, "this is wonderful! I'm truly happy for you. We'll have to celebrate this with some cake sometime!"

"Yeah, I'd love that." She politely smiled.

"So, it's in Tokyo? How will you be getting yourself down there every day? It's quite a drive, y'know…" he murmured, itching the back of his head. Fujitaka ran through possible ideas in his mind before Sakura replied.

"Tomoyo said that she's looking for a roommate, so I could share her apartment with her." She nodded to herself. "She said that if I'm getting a job in Tokyo, we may as well room with each other."

"That's a good idea!" Fujitaka agreed, chuckling. "I'm surprised I didn't think about that. We'll have to get everything packed and squared away then, won't we?"

"Yes," his daughter buzzed.

Mr. Kinomoto's expression turned solemn in a matter of seconds as he thought more on the subject. He noticed Sakura look up at him with her glistening emerald orbs, trying to read his emotions. With a loving smile, he patted her head gently and said, "I'm sorry. Your future is starting now. It's just taking me a little bit to fully understand that," he chuckled.

"Dad-"

"I'll help you pack your things right now," he interrupted, denying her from any further words. She couldn't see them, but a few tears raced down his cheeks, though he was not sad at all. For more than twenty years, she had been his precious angel, but now, she was going to be on her own. Fujitaka knew sooner or later this was going to happen, but he could not help but feel the emotional pull of a father seeing his youngest child, his darling daughter, leave for a world that would not be so kind as he was to her.

* * *

In the bright blue sky, the sun hung high and radiated much of its light and heat upon the humid metropolis that was Tokyo. People were everywhere, minding their own business, their busy eyes traveling different places at different time. The ash-brown haired girl knocked on apartment 21 where her childhood friend settled down. In a short amount of time, the raven-haired beauty opened the door and gave her a polite smile, filled with delight. Her skin was smooth and light like porcelain, with patient amethyst eyes and a charming grin. There was no doubt about it; Tomoyo Daidouji was one of the most beautiful young ladies many men have ran into. She embraced Sakura quickly and giggled softly.

"My, every time I see you, you really do get prettier each time!" She seemed to be joking, though she was being fully honest. Sakura couldn't help but shake her head, her shoulders shaking from a small laugh.

"I can say the same to you, Tomoyo."

"Please, come in," she gestured towards the apartment, opening the door a bit wider as she did so. "You look like you're dying."

The heat was merciless and nearly caused Sakura to be horribly dehydrated. She made her way inside the apartment, bags in her hand. The air conditioning was turned on high to ventilate the flat, though she did not feel this effect until much later. Decorated with intricate Japanese furniture, Tomoyo had set a very neat and modern feel to her place. It was a fairly large apartment for one person with a large living room and spacious kitchen. However, there was only one bedroom. For a month, Sakura agreed to sleeping on the floor until she could afford a comfortable mattress. Leading her into her room to set her bags down, Tomoyo asked her to sit down later in the living room to chat about their current situation.

"Congratulations on getting the job you wanted, Sakura!" Tomoyo complimented. Her cousin blushed and laughed a bit, shuffling her feet in embarrassment.

"I'm just so surprised," she confessed. "I didn't know they'd take me in right away!"

"I'm not as surprised, since you're such an accomplished person." The raven-haired girl only smiled.

"Oh Tomoyo," she rolled her eyes, "it's not like you're going to Tokyo University! You're going to be a music teacher soon," Sakura countered. "You're just as accomplished, if not more!"

"That's quite a compliment," Tomoyo waved it off.

The two continued to talk about the events going on in their life. Tomoyo was returning to graduate school to continue her degree courses. College seemed to go just smoothly for the intelligent lady. Back in their hometown, Tomoeda, Sakura explained, everything seemed normal. There hadn't been any serious changes in the past few years anyway. Sakura had no worry about her best friend, though she was surprised to hear her ask a certain question.

"Do you know who's secretary you are?"

"No…" Sakura trailed off, fumbling with her thumbs. Her emerald eyes stared down at her feet, feeling a bit anxious for the day tomorrow. "They said they'll assign me tomorrow when I walk in."

"You're in for a surprise, then," Tomoyo poked, trying to encourage her. "Who knows, maybe the person you're going to be helping out can be a new friend?"

"Tomoyo," she couldn't help but chuckle a tad, "you always try to think of the positive things, don't you?"

* * *

Early Monday morning, Sakura rose quickly out of bed and began to prepare for her first day at her new work. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and watched as she pinned the last of her hair back. It was the least she could do for the first day, after all. Wearing a white blouse, a black skirt, and a gray blazer to top it off, she concluded judging her appearance and went out to the kitchen. There, Tomoyo was cooking breakfast, the sweet aroma of bacon roaming freely throughout the flat. Sakura smiled and knew that, even though she did not have a class until the afternoon, she was kind enough to get up early and make sure her friend was well fed for her long day. Sakura lingered just a little bit longer to eat her meal and thanked her before she was out of the door.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Sakura made her appearance for the first time in the Li Enterprise building as a personal secretary. Her job was to assist whoever she was assigned to, whether it be by sorting files, cleaning their server folders, or anything related. She was instructed by another supervisor that she would be working in room 2103, one of the rooms on the highest floor. The ride in the elevator was longer than she hoped it would be, as the poor girl was crammed against a few other workers. Sakura could only hold her folders and papers against her chest. They all minded their business and left on the floors they needed to go to.

Soon enough, Sakura was left alone in the silent elevator ride. It ended as she reached floor twenty-one. This floor was much more different than the others. The walls were painted a very ambient shade of light gray, as if it were more of a home than anything. There was hardly anyone on this floor, causing Sakura to wonder if she was the only person present. Arriving at the doorstep of room 2103, she knocked softly. There was no immediate reply. Assuming it was empty, she pushed the door open.

To her surprise, it seemed like a gigantic office. Maple bookshelves lined up against the wall. From where she stood, Sakura could see they not only held most office documents and texts, but what looked to be plaques and trophies as well. There was a single, large rectangular desk near the wall and several other chairs scattered around the room. Strangely, there was also an entertainment system at the far end of the room and a large plasma television hung on the wall. A mixture of work and play, she mused to herself. And, in the center of the room, a man was pacing around slowly. His dark chestnut hair was tousled and seemed more of a mop than anything. He had a lean build, Sakura observed, seeing how his white dress shirt fit snugly against his body. From her angle, she could tell he was most certainly handsome. Holding his own personal cell phone up to his ear, it was only when he turned around and stared at Sakura that she realized who this man was.

His name is Syaoran Li, the CEO of Li Enterprise.

Startled, Sakura froze immediately, her palms sweating another layer of sweat. Hoping he did not notice her expression, she bowed respectfully. This man had a lot of power to his name-money, too. He merely turned his back to her, ended his phone call, and walked back to his desk. Mr. Li took a seat in a comfortable white swiveling chair and typed away into his computer. With a lack of any response, Sakura had mustered up the courage to approach him just a bit closer. She stopped when she was a few feet away.

"Good morning," her voice seemed so frail, trembling conspicuously. "My name is Kinomoto Sakura, and I am your new-"

"Yeah, yeah," his raspy voice interrupted her, continuing, "I know. There's a packet of papers that needs to be sorted out in alphabetical order and sent out to several other people throughout the building." His tone seemed so dry and apathetic, it seemed as if he was a talking robot. An attractive robot… Sakura wondered. The thought immediately faded away when he refused to look up to see her. She was beginning to get annoyed with his attitude. "Don't just stand there, do something!" he commanded.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Li?" Sakura strained to sound as polite as she could. She even plastered on a smile. When the man stayed silent, she added, "I can sort things for you."

"You're supposed to," he sighed, sounding exasperated. Without looking up to see her, he pointed towards a stack on his desk. "Alphabetize these and hand them to system management so they can bring it around."

Sakura was beginning to wonder if it was too soon to hate her job already. After years of education and a nerve-wracking interview, here she was at her dream job. The only thing wrong with the picture was the man she worked for. He couldn't even look up from his advanced desktop to give her a polite greeting and began to boss her around right off the bat. Perhaps that was what he was used to, being high and mighty, but it was not something sensitive Sakura appreciated immediately. Making her way to his large oak desk, she observed his face and felt as if she was betraying herself by admiring his handsome looks. She grumbled quietly and began to sort through the papers.

After that task was done, Mr. Li did not grow kind at all and assigned her other tasks, such as grabbing a cup of coffee for him, fixing the books on the shelves, and what not. It seemed that he wanted to throw in everything he possibly could to distance himself from the girl who was his new personal secretary. Half filled with curiosity as to why this was and the other half filled with a strong sense of dislike, Sakura decided to engage in a conversation to unravel his persona a bit more.

"Mr. Li," she gently cooed, "I've done everything you've asked me to do." She took a seat on one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk.

Syaoran Li's amber eyes remained stuck on the document open on his computer. He simply gave a nod of his head.

Frustrated by his cold actions, Sakura crossed her legs and cleared her throat rather loudly. With a cocked eyebrow, he leaned to the side to see her and gave her a sarcastic look. "You sure don't talk a lot," she mumbled.

"It's not my job to talk to personal secretaries," he replied harshly. Sakura's emerald eyes threatened to pool with hot tears, but, determined as she was, she'd be damned before a single drop fell to her lap in front of him. "I'm glad you're doing your bare minimum."

"Are you always this rude?" she blurted out, instantly regretting it as soon as the words left her mouth. Mr. Li shot her a crude glare and leaned back in his chair.

"This rude? And by that," he rolled his eyes as he continued, "do you mean how I'm treating you?"

"Yeah," she replied, getting angrier with each passing second. Syaoran sat up and leaned over on his desk, physically inching closer towards her. She held her gaze and remained strong. "You seem very demanding and you haven't given me a chance to be better acquainted with you."

"Do you really want to get fired on your first day? I can do that, if I want." He threatened.

Sakura knew that his words fell with honesty. Being the CEO, he was more than capable of getting rid of his workers easily, no matter what reason was behind it all. Knowing that pressing the subject would most likely result in a negative consequence, she sighed and muttered, "No. Please forgive me, Mr. Li." Her tone sounded placid for once.

"You should be sorry," he retorted before going back to his computer. He had no idea what he was putting himself up against.

* * *

That night, after eight horrendous hours of torture at Li Enterprise, Miss Kinomoto returned to Tomoyo's apartment. Only now would she allow herself to cry. The act itself was never the problem for her, only the nosy eyes that would watch her wallow in her own sadness. The warm beads cascaded onto her friend's lap as her back spontaneously rose and sunk again with every huff. Her breaths were short, with quiet moans and short bursts of noises every so often. The young Daidouji stroked her auburn strands and sighed. Class at Tokyo U had not been any easier for her, either, with her instructor screaming every word possible. She leaned down and reached on the table to pour more tea for her friend, who had lifted her head slightly just to see her.

"I'm sorry T-tomoyo," she stuttered, "I'm just… so…"

"Frustrated?"

"Yes!" Burying her face once again against her thigh, she gave another loud sob. "I hate him so much!"

"Oh Sakura," she smiled to herself sympathetically, "you don't actually hate him. You're not capable of those feelings," she half-joked.

Shaking her head, the emerald-eyed girl sat straight and took a deep breath. "Oh trust me Tomoyo, I think I really do. You should see him," she said softly, sounding tired and drained. Sakura sipped her tea and leaned her back against the couch. "He's such an as-"

"You've mentioned," Tomoyo cut in before her friend could utter a single word of disgust. "Maybe he was having a rough day or something and is actually very nice!" In every situation, she could only think of the positive reasons and the like.

"Maybe he has periods like girls," Sakura murmured cruelly. "I don't like him at all… And it was just the first day! I should switch whose secretary I am…"

"Oh, no," Tomoyo helped her to stand up. "Just wait it out, girl."

Without any further words, the two cleaned up after themselves and returned to their room. Sakura unfolded her sleeping bag and pillow and managed to get comfortable in a short matter of time. She heard Tomoyo shuffle around in the bed just a few inches near her. The two lay quietly without a single word uttered to disturb the silence that had settled in. But in a few minutes, Sakura could not keep her thoughts to herself.

"Tomoyo," she whispered, "how are you so kind?"

"Kind?" She seemed perplexed. "I don't quite understand your question, Sakura."

"I mean it. How are you so kind even to people who don't deserve that kindness?" Syaoran Li had appeared in her mind as she was finishing her sentence, much to her dismay.

"Well," Tomoyo turned towards her, "it takes a lot to be nice to someone who doesn't deserve it, but isn't that what we should all do? There are people in the world who aren't necessarily very polite and sometimes they can be rude, but they're still people. You just need to look for the humanity in them." A sweet smile grazed upon her fair face in the moonlit room. Tomoyo was always this way, but it was not until now that Sakura fully understood just how beautiful she really was.

She pondered on her words and eventually gave her reply. "I guess I'll try to be a bit better towards Mr. Li tomorrow…" Her tone was sour and sarcastic, but in the depths of her heart, she knew that it was true.

"That's the way to go, girl." Tomoyo leaned over and gave Sakura a gentle pat on her hand. "We ought to go to sleep now, don't you think?"

"I guess."

"You need some sleep before you face that handsome devil!" Tomoyo piped.

The auburn-haired girl felt her face burn in frustration. "I think you mean just devil."


	2. Mr Nice Guy

**A/N:** Thank you all for the kind reviews and feedback! I would very much enjoy hearing back from you all, so please, if there's something you'd like to tell me, please just leave a short review. Please enjoy!

**II**

**Mr. Nice Guy**

Perhaps his night would have been better had he selected a fancier bar or if he brought company along with him. Maybe he wouldn't feel so run down and drained if he only slept for a few more hours. And surely, the day would not have felt this long if he had done something else than lounging around. Had that gorgeous babe not pushed him away, he would not be sitting in this bar in the first place. But despite all this, Syaoran Li, the CEO of Li Enterprise, was exhausted and slumped on the counter at a local pub. The room smelled musty and the strong scent of whiskey and tequila hung about. He was unsure of the time, but he sensed it was now early into the Tuesday morning. With hardly any strength left in him, the amber-eyed man turned his head towards the bartender and spoke.

"I'd like another shot of whiskey," he murmured quietly.

The bartender, a man whose age was reflected in his wrinkles, fat, and his damaged eyes, could only shake his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but you've had too much for your own good."

"Since when does that make you stop serving me alcohol," Syaoran slurred, clearly drunk from the previous ingests of the poison. As he said this, he was waving his hand and gesturing for the man to approach him. "I'm thirsty and I want some whiskey."

"I'd rather not be blamed for a death via alcohol poisoning," he said firmly. Jiro, the bartender, leaned down and observed him closely. His white dress-shirt was half buttoned, his chestnut hair tousled and unkempt, and a clear imprint of red lipstick on his neck. Curious, he asked, "What happened to you, sport?"

"Ah nothing," Syaoran shook his head vigorously. "Just some girl who doesn't know what she's doing." Jiro remained silent and nodded for him to continue. "She thinks because I'm the CEO of my big toy company that I'm some jerk who 'won't understand the crap in her life.' My ass." He had a sour tone to his words that showed his lack of care.

"I thought you looked pretty familiar when you came in," Jiro commented. "I don't usually have CEOs wandering into my bar."

"She doesn't know what she's missing out," he slipped. "I'd be the best she'd ever have. She totally pushed me away! Does she even know who I am? C'mon man, you'd screw me too if you were a girl right? Right?" Syaoran sounded almost hysterical, clearly under the spell of the strong alcohol.

"Yeah, yeah," Jiro brushed it off. "One more whiskey then you're out of here, okay?"

"Fine," he groaned.

Several hours later, Sakura Kinomoto was woken by the loud chiming of her alarm clock. She sleepily reached out and shut it off. Slowly sitting up, the girl rubbed her eyes and looked around, seeming momentarily lost at her surroundings. Tomoyo was still sleeping rather peacefully. She watched her chest rise and fall in even rhythms and smiled. Sakura quickly snuck out of the shared bed and made her way to the kitchen. Before she left for work, she would leave her a nice breakfast, as a thank you for the hospitality. Within an hour, the auburn-haired girl dressed for work, ate, and went on her way to downtown Tokyo.

Even in the morning, the air was hot and humid in the city. It was a struggle for Sakura to adjust from the mild temperatures in Tomoeda to the stuffiness of the city. Hundreds of people were passing by and dozens of cars and taxis were traveling around so early in the day. Just the sheer amount of others and the grand infrastructure was quite a change for the young lady. But nothing was as horrible as her current job as the Personal Secretary to Mr. Syaoran Li, CEO and business tycoon.

Around the halls of Li Enterprise, the strong aroma of coffee beans hung about. Worker bees were flying around the building today, delivering stacks of papers, meeting with other supervisors, and more. Miss Sakura Kinomoto had gone unnoticed on her way towards the elevator, just as she silently asked for. The other people were nice here, but she was not yet comfortable at striking up a conversation so quickly. She rode the elevator to floor 21, where a certain young man was sitting in his office. With bravery and courage set within her, Sakura knocked and entered quietly. Mr. Li seemed to be preoccupied with his computer and let her walk in without paying any attention. She felt a sudden burst of annoyance at his presence, but it died away as she forced herself to speak to him.

"Good morning, Mr Li," she strained, trying to sound as polite as possible. Pissing him off was not on her list today.

He quickly glanced at her direction and continued to scan through several files. A few seconds died away before he replied, "Check the duty board."

Without another word escaping her fair lips, Sakura made her way to the left side of the room. Next to one of his tall bookshelves was a cork board that was so titled 'The Duty Board.' Underneath were three sections, that, in order, read, 'To Do, Doing, Done.' Several sticky-notes were posted underneath the tasks that needed to be done. Sakura sighed under her breath, knowing the day would be long. She began by sorting out a stack of files that needed to be sent out to system management. Before doing so, she looked over at the young man sitting still in his comfortable leather chair. He didn't notice, but she had shown him a rather rude hand gesture to express the amount of vexation that boiled beneath her skin.

* * *

"Are you kidding me? He's hot!"

In the famous courtyard of the prestigious Tokyo University, the young Tomoyo Daidouji sat on a stone bench, a notebook on her lap and a pen in her hand. She was trying to study before being interrupted with the superfluous noises of nosy girls nearby. There was always a crowd of girls that had gathered around the rather grand central fountain, but the raven-haired girl never truly paid much attention to them, nor did she ever care about what they discussed. The majority of it all was about how their weekend went, their nonsensical social life, which boys around the campus caught their attention, and similar thoughts. Today, however, rumours were spreading that there was a new exchange student. Not that they were uncommon; no, not in the least. But with how loud those girls were speaking, Tomoyo could not help but overhear some of the conversation.

"They say his eyes are blue like oceans… I wonder if I can get lost in them!"

"Holy crap Maoko, you're like the queen of sap."

"I'm serious!"

"Mm, you know whose instruments I'd love to play?"

"Ooh, you're dirty! He can't be that hot."

"Uh, he totally can! He's like… oh my God, there he is!"

Tomoyo tried, to the best of her ability, to tune them out, and was almost successful at pulling out a pair of headphones to mute them before she was disturbed by the presence of another. Sitting next to her was a young man, most likely her age, with fair skin, ebony hair, and charming dark blue eyes. It seemed unlikely that he was of pure Japanese heritage by the way his face was shaped and other features. And for the first time in several years, Tomoyo noticed the attractiveness in a boy. She took in the way that his glasses fit him, the gentle curve of his lips, and the attractive smile that was spread across his kind face. The girls nearby had shut up, and with good reason. It was so painfully obvious how beautiful he was.

"Good afternoon," he greeted her. "I'm Eriol Hiragizawa. I've just come here from England and I couldn't help but notice that you're alone, too." His voice was rich and deep, enchanting to say the least.

Tomoyo was speechless, a very rare feat. "Oh, yes," she managed to grin to mask her sudden confusion and surprise. "My name is Tomoyo Daidouji." She extended her small hand towards him.

He took it in his and gave it a firm shake. "I'm aware. Your mother's company designs a lot of the clothes I wear," he chuckled. It felt so unreal, this situation. What were the chances that the new, gorgeous, foreign exchange student would know her and greet her? A few feet away, the other girls were seething. "See?" He pointed to a crest on his dark blue blazer that was branded "Daidouji and Co."

Tomoyo, ecstatic at seeing the familiar family company logo, grinned and commented, "I'm glad that you like our products. I'm surprised that you could point me out right away, though," she opened earnestly. "

"Well, how could you stay under my radar?" He tilted his head in honest wonder. "I think we can all tell who's the daughter of a top-brand designer when we see one."

"I sure hope I don't act like one," Tomoyo giggled. "So, you're the guy all the girls have been whispering about…?"

Eriol cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Girls are whispering about me?"

Tomoyo could feel her face flush a light shade of pink at a sudden spark of embarrassment. "Yes! I mean, I haven't, but…"

"That's interesting, considering there's nothing very special about me at all! All I do is play piano and write piano pieces."

The amethyst eyes lit up with amazement. "You write music, too?"

"Substantial amounts, yes." He nodded his head, clearly proud of his accomplishments.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. It was too good to be true; Eriol was handsome, smart, talented, and passionate about music almost as much as herself. She had never met such a man. "I'm studying to become a music teacher right now, but I'm also doing my vocal lessons."

"Yes; that's actually the reason why I approached you," he replied. "When I talked to Professor Terada, he said that you're an excellent singer."

"I suppose so," she modestly waved it off. The entire university was well aware that her voice was silken and alluring and had branded her 'the singing spirit of Tokyo U.' Tomoyo would never accept it, but she was the top soprano in the school.

Eriol oriented himself towards her and took in a deep breath. "I'm composing a Latin piece and would like to write in a soprano singing part with it. Would you be willing to work with me on it?"

Tomoyo tilted her head and looked up, thinking on the offer. "I'm not sure," she sighed, "There are a lot of things that we both have to do, don't you think?" The academic year had just started for them, and there was still so much work that needed to get done. It wasn't a matter of whether she had the desire to work with him; she was more than willing and even hoping for the opportunity. From a distance, she could hear small screeches of surprise and frustration from the pack of girls.

"Please take it into consideration," Eriol pleaded gently as he stood. "I'd very much like to work with such an astounding individual."

"If anyone's astounding, it's definitely you and your sense of good manners." She smiled gracefully.

Suddenly, Eriol took her hand on her lap and brought it in his. He planted a small, chivalrous kiss on the back. "I'll eat with you tomorrow for lunch, here. Goodbye for now."

Eriol made his way and left Tomoyo in a sort of stuporous state. A breeze blew by and kissed her cheeks, while the young girl was pondering the situation throughout the rest of her lunch time. She glanced over at the three girls who were talking about them and was almost pleased at their seething.

* * *

With five minutes left until four o'clock in the afternoon, Sakura wrapped up the rest of her errands and finished sorting out the last set of papers for her work day. She wiped some sweat off of her temple, for the building was heated by the inclement, hot weather outside. Her boss was enjoying a cup of cold water she had brought up for him and relaxed in his leather chair. The two remained unmoved and quiet, both quite exhausted from their jobs, until one of them broke the delicate silence.

"Did you get everything done on the duty board?" Syaoran asked her. She looked over and gave a firm nod.

"Everything's done." Though tired, she still managed to sound a bit cheery.

She watched him cross his arms and narrow his eyes at her, as if judging her further. "So, you actually work."

It took every single fiber of her body to cooperate with one another for her to remain still. She inhaled sharply and cooly replied, "And I'll work when I'm here."

"I sure hope you will," he muttered condescendingly. "I'm still surprised they assigned a newcomer as my personal assistant."

"Oh, and because being your personal slave is better than any other position offered here," she snapped, anger ringing in every word she uttered.

The two exchanged a burning glare, filled with haughtiness, disdain, and hatred from the both of them. "It's not like you're a good assistant," the tycoon groaned.

"I've only been here for two days!" Sakura barked, walking over to his desk. "And if you haven't been paying attention, I'm doing the most mundane jobs you can give me!" At this, Syaoran, too, stood. "I've been filing pointless papers, mailing them out throughout the company, and writing down stupid numbers! If you could have me scrub your personal toilet, you would!"

"Maybe I should just make you do all the stupid things for me, then, since you're so willing and hard-working to accomplish all the stuff that I've been asking you to do." Sarcasm dripped off of every one of his words, angering her further.

"I need this job." Sakura took a step forward in his direction and he did the same.

"You're only here because of your 4.0 GPA." Syaoran's arms were crossed and managed to contain his boiling fury. "What makes you think you're better than everyone else, anyways?"

"Oh," she cackled, "so I'm the proud one in this situation! You should take a look in the mirror. Maybe some day, you'll eventually see how rude of a monster you are." By now, Sakura was on her tip-toes, looking up at the CEO before her. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"You're just jealous that I don't like you the same way I liked my other assistants," he coughed.

"You're just distraught that I'm one of the assistants that you haven't banged on your table."

Sakura knew that she had crossed the line and was certain that she would lose her job at that very moment. A flash of surprise crossed his countenance before a look of rage overcame him. "I'm firing you."

"Go ahead," she took another step closer and grabbed his neck-tie firmly, pulling him down so that their faces were inches apart. In a hoarse whisper, she said, "Try me." The two stared harshly at one another; amber and emerald dueled with blazing fires of anger.

A knock on Syaoran's heavy door interrupted the two. It swung open and revealed a tall masculine figure, and when Sakura took a better look, she was shocked to see her older brother. Slightly surprised, he spoke, saying, "Sakura, let's go home?"

The CEO and his personal assistant exchanged a short look at one another before selfishly departing from one another.

* * *

Touya Kinomoto, now 29 years old, was as handsome as ever and leaded a busy life. Matured now, he was tall and his skin tone was a rich, darker color. His earth-colored hair was trimmed quite nicely now while his dark chocolate eyes gleamed with a swirl of many emotions. He reached his dreams of one day becoming a doctor and worked at the heart of the Tokyo. Hearing that his younger sister was now working at Li Enterprise, he decided to visit her at work. As the two walked down the street, they chattered away about their current situations. She was out of college and working now while he was just starting his life as a doctor. Sakura held onto his arm and enjoyed the brisk exercise. Had it been 10 years ago, she would not speak a word to him, but seeing as they were now young adults, she enjoyed every minute of his company.

"Tell me again about this Syaoran guy," he said. Sakura sighed under her breath before replying.

"What do you want to know about him?"

"I heard he's being a donkey to you already," he murmured. "Tomoyo told me, if you were wondering."

The auburn-haired girl mused for a bit before answering, "He's rude and arrogant. It's probably because he's the CEO of his big company."

"He's handsome though, no?" Touya joked. Sakura felt her face flush in frustration and sent a light punch to his chest.

"That's besides the point, brother..."

"But you can at least admit it." A carefree grin spread across his face. "And what was that scene that I walked into when I came to get you?"

Sakura groaned inwardly before saying, "That was nothing. He was pissing me off. I thought I'd choke him with that stupid silk tie anyways."

"I didn't know that you grew up to be more violent, monster!"

She punched his stomach again as they halted before Tomoyo's apartment door. Darkness was beginning to settle in and close the summer day. "You need to go home. I think we've both had a long day. Are you sure you don't want to stay? You can sleep on the couch."

"No, I'm fine. I live here, remember?" Touya planted a soft kiss on Sakura's temple, an intimate sign of his love for her. "Goodnight."

She watched him walk away before turning the key to unlock the door. When she entered the apartment, Sakura called out Tomoyo's name. The place replied with silence. Upon opening the bedroom door, she beheld her good friend sitting on her bed, reading what seemed to be a textbook. Her eyebrows arched and she took a seat next to her. Tomoyo remained unfazed and happened to be lightly humming as she read the music notes on the page.

"Test or something?" Sakura opened. The amethyst-eyed girl shook her head.

"Just reading over some music for right now. How was your day today at work with that handsome devil?" Tomoyo glanced up at her and gave her a sweet smile. "Did he drive you crazy again?"

With a straight face, Sakura shut her eyes briefly. "Yeah. Today was worse than yesterday. I thought I was going to beat the crap out of him."

"What did you do?"

"Tomoyo, the question is what did he do." She disdainfully waved it off. "I did everything he asked me to do and he still said something mean to me. So I insulted him and I guess he's firing me."

"Wait-what? He's firing you?!" Tomoyo's voice rose uncharacteristically high as perplexity ran over her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said," her friend frowned. "I kinda blew it today. But to be honest, I just can't handle that jerk…"

"I'm sorry Sakura," she sighed, sad. "That's not very good. I still think it would be better if you tried to keep your job, though. Perhaps he'll lighten up around you eventually."

"I can't take any of your kind bullcrap at the moment, Tomoyo." Sakura stripped to her underclothes and put on a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. She flopped down onto her side of the bed and tucked herself in nicely.

"It's not really kind bullcrap. I'm just trying to be realistic."

"Quite being realistic. He's an ass, I'm going to lose my job, and I'll have to find a new one. End of story. Goodnight."

She hadn't thought out the entire situation until her eyes closed. It was only the second day of being on the job and she was, most likely, about to get fired. Everything she had worked towards was useless now. Even after striving for the best in everything in both high school and college, after every single sweat drop and tear and endless night, Sakura was disappointed to feel that Li Enterprise just wasn't the job for her. She remembered her interview and the slim chances of landing the job that she did and frowned, knowing that it was now all in vain. The whole experience seemed as if a play by vanity itself.

* * *

The following day, Sakura slacked and chose to wear a more casual outfit to work. With a feeling that it would be her last day today, she gave up any desire to look pleasing. She stood in the elevator mute as she rose to the highest floor. Without knocking on his door, she entered Syaoran Li's office and took a seat in front of him. He was, as usual, typing again on his computer. Several minutes passed by with not a word being exchanged by either of them. Eventually, the young man's amber eyes peeked at her.

"There's stuff on the duty board for you to do," he mumbled. Sakura looked up to see him, her eyebrows knitted in bewilderment.

"What?" she stammered, sounding a bit stupid.

"There's stuff on the duty board," he repeated. Sakura shook her head to herself.

"I thought you were supposed to fire me today." She sounded a bit on edge as the words spilled from her mouth.

Syaoran leaned back in his chair and locked eyes with her. His lips were pressed and formed a straight line on his somber face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said; you threatened to fire me yesterday and I told you to go ahead and do that… You're not firing me?" A shimmer of hope revealed itself in her sentence. Her fists were clenched tightly in her lap.

Syaoran turned his eyes away and ran a hand through his tousled hair. He seemed to do that gesture often. "No, I'm not firing you."

Sakura couldn't believe it. In a soft voice, she asked, "But why not? I pissed you off and I even… physically grabbed you…"

"You grabbed my tie," he corrected her, adding, "and people get into petty little fights all the time. I pissed you off, you pissed me off. We're even enough. Besides, nobody wants to sort through all my stuff." Syaoran sounded earnest and almost kind, though Sakura would not let her perception of his words throw off what he really was.

"So I can keep my job?" she excitedly asked him. A firm nod was his response.

"Yes, you can keep your job. So, get to work, please." He sounded stubborn, but his words were just too much for her to really care about getting angry over.

Sakura's heart leaped in her chest with great joy. Things weren't as they seemed. Her boss managed to forgive her enough to give her another chance to work at the place. She could keep her job, work at it with a better set of work ethic, and improve. Sakura could have her dream job, still, and accomplish what she wanted to do.

Truly grateful, she smiled her radiant smile and said, "I will, Mr. Li."

* * *

The atmosphere was full with the smell of alcoholic spirits and cigarette smoke. Couples were sitting around the square room, enticing one another by playing footsy and other silly antics. With dim lighting, the entire room felt ambient and romantic. The bartender was busy filling other drinks for the other customers sitting around the bar. Takashi Yamazaki, one of Syaoran Li's floor managers, took a sip of his gin and tonic. He was an average sized man of 25 and was full of zeal towards many different things. Sitting next to him was Syaoran himself, whose eyes seemed to be fixed upon an object in the distance. After a long day of work, the two decided to end their day with a few drinks at their favorite, expensive bar. Draining his glass, the young CEO opened up a new conversation.

"I almost fired my personal secretary today." He scratched his head before continuing. "But I didn't."

"What happened?" Yamazaki's voice was light and playful in contrast to Syaoran's, which was strong and stern.

"She pissed me off. That lady thinks she's everything just because she got into some fantastic college and luckily has the chance to be my secretary. Who does she think she is?" He sounded upset with a good reason, though his friend did not think the same.

"I think she thinks she's a girl who can accomplish anything she puts her mind to!" He smiled gently. "Was that really all it took to piss you off, Syaoran?"

"No. She made a comment about how she was the only assistant I hadn't banged over my desk."

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Yamazaki teased.

A shade of scarlet overcame Syaoran. "That's not true at all. I should fire you, too."

"You should, and then you'll lose a great employee." He smiled easily. "Tell me, what made you change your mind about your secretary?"

He had to think about the matter for a little bit before giving his statement. "She's effective. I mean, she's always bragging about how she can get her workload done before anyone else, but the point is, it's done." His words were sincere and said with a nicer tone than normal. "She's a good worker. But she's a terrible person otherwise."

"Oh Syaoran," Yamazaki chuckled into his hand, "you're so serious about this sort of thing. Are you sure that's really the only reason you kept her around? Rumors have it that you've done things to your old secretaries."

"Give me a bucket so I can puke everything in my body out," he sardonically replied.

Finishing his drink, Yamazaki asked, "What's her name again?"

"Kinomoto Sakura."

"Cherry-blossoms hmm? Is she as beautiful as the name suggests?"

"You're fired."

"Oh stop, I'm kidding." A laugh filled with myrrh filled the rest of the conversation for a little bit. "Hey, actually, why don't you invite her out to dinner or something?"

"What?" Syaoran sounded incredulous.

Yamazaki slammed his palm right onto the dark wood of the bar, filled with enthusiasm. "It's a brilliant idea! You don't really know a lot about her, right? And she's pretty, right? Why don't you invite her to dinner to get to know her?"

"Because she'd say yes," Syaoran rolled his eyes. He stared back at the black orbs that seemed to be the epitome of zeal itself. "C'mon man, that's just not something she would do."

"And why not? You pissed her off."

"She pissed me off, too!" His voice rose a decibel, turning a few heads. In a softer tone, he mumbled, "Besides, she'd say no."

"That's stupid, my friend, because you don't know what she would say to you if you don't ask." He was being truthful. "Plus, you could say it was for the scene that happened yesterday and your reason for taking her out is to get to know her better. You should know, of all people, that a toxic environment around someone will kill the work ethic of both of you. You're a team!"

"And you're dead meat. Drop the topic."

The two dropped the subject shortly after, much to Syaoran's pleasure, as he pressured Yamazaki to stop talking. But the chestnut-haired man couldn't help but think about her for a bit longer. What was her problem anyways? She walked in that first day, acting high and mighty, as if she was the one who ran the entire show. And even though he tried to ignore her the best that he could, he couldn't stand how exact she had to be with her "mundane jobs." Everything had to be a certain way before it could slide past her. Her very being seemed to irritate him, but besides his frivolous reason that she was proud and OCD about everything on the face of the Earth, Syaoran couldn't pin-point the exact reason of why she was so annoying to him. After all, she was Sakura Kinomoto, and he had only known her for two days. It was enough to churn the sleeping beast within him.

**A/N:** So, how was it? Please leave a review and some feedback. Thank you all, have a lovely day!


	3. Alfredo

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that my update is so overdue, please forgive me! I've worked a bit harder on this chapter, even if it's a bit shorter. I hope that you guys enjoy!

**III**

**Alfredo**

The following morning, Sakura was rushing to get to Li Enterprise as swiftly as possible. She had forgotten to set her alarm clock the night before and woke up at the same time as Tomoyo. Realizing she was two hours late to work, the young lady scrambled to pull on a decent outfit and managed to get there in less than ten minutes. Her feet hurt nonetheless from running in heels, but it needed to be done. When she walked into Mr. Li's office, she noticed him reading a newspaper in his lap. He merely glanced up at gave a suspicious look.

"Mr. Li, I'm so sorry that I'm la-" she stammered.

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted her. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion at his remark. "Just get to work on what's there for you."

"You don't penalize workers for tardiness?" she curiously asked, taking a deep breath as she approached the duty board. More mundane tasks were ahead of her for the day. Inwardly, she groaned.

"Not really," he murmured, turning to the next page of his newspaper article. "There's not a lot to do today. Everything's been sorted and turned in and now we just let the company glide for a little bit."

Sakura pulled out a pile of typed receipts from a box set just a few feet behind him. "Well yes, since everything's done. It is the end of the July, sir. I mailed the last of it yesterday."

"I'm aware." He scanned through the article and flipped to another page. "Why are you late today, though?"

Wow, he's actually asking me a question, she thought to herself, a sense of amazement instilled in her. "I just didn't wake up on time," she sighed under her breath. Her nimble fingers began to sift through the thick pile. "This doesn't ever happen. I haven't been late since high school," she nervously chuckled.

"Impressive," he sarcastically commented. As he folded the newspaper and placed it on his desk, he rose and stretched out his arms towards the ceiling. Sakura had taken a short peek and noticed the muscles concealed underneath. To say they were toned was an understatement. Without paying attention, Sakura continued to stare as Syaoran caught her eye. He shot her a smug smirk and caused her to turn away, reddening with each passing second. "Check out your bosses often?"

"You're diabolic," she barked, continuing her easy task, the sense of amazement completely fleeing her thoughts. Sakura heard him shift around and looked up to see him, arms crossed, leaning against his desk. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm not staring at you. Do you think I'm creepy or something?"

"Yes, I think you're creepy as Hell and enjoy hitting on your assistants." She rolled her eyes when she heard him chuckle quietly.

"Oh don't put yourself high up there, flat-chest." The chestnut-haired man couldn't help but retort and grinned as he watched her chest heave up in frustration.

She was certain that he would lose his vision as soon as the words left her mouth. "I'm going to cut you to pieces."

"Because that's the most attractive thing a woman can do."

"Y'know what?" she whispered as she put down the papers and walked his direction. "What's your problem today? You act like you don't care, you hit on me, and now you're being even more of an ass than normal. And why are you talking to me? Go back on your computer and look up porn or something!" She snapped at him. Her auburn locks seemed to curl around her, as if her defensive form was beginning to show.

Syaoran took it all in stride and brushed it off easily. He ran his hand through his tousled, unkempt hair and breathily replied, "First, you're the one who came in late. Second, you're flattering yourself. I'd never hit on you. And third, I'm much more mature and look those things up at home."

Sakura's eyes shut, burning with fury, as she clenched her fists until they turned white once more. There was no reply that she could give to him, a first, for Sakura was hardly ever lost for words.

"Will you go to dinner with me later?" Sakura was so sure it was a joke that she almost gagged.

"What?" He's bipolar, she chanted in her mind, he's bipolar. Her emerald eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, but primarily perplexity and misunderstanding. "So now you want to take me out?"

"You should know, Miss 4.0 GPA, that a good working environment has people who can cooperate and be a team together," he poked at her ego. She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip in an attempt to try to keep herself quiet, but Sakura wouldn't restrain herself.

"Because kissing up to me is the best way to open up a good working environment," she sardonically replied.

Syaoran shrugged to himself. "It doesn't matter if you want to or don't want to. I just decided that I'm hungry for pasta later and since we're clearly having issues," he put emphasis on issues, "we could clear things up over a meal. But you're not going. So I'll go alone." He concluded his statement and slipped on his black suit coat before picking up his keys on the desk. "I'm going out to meet someone in the lobby before I go out for my lunch."

Sakura tapped her arm, reeling at the offer before her. What was his problem? First he acts like a complete idiot, the next he's trying to make it better by asking her to lunch. Still, he had never before talked to her so much in the day and in such a short amount of time. Perhaps things were going to go well over their "business meal," as she had thought on it. Quite surprised by the entirety of it, she watched as he opened the office door and take a step out. His foot was almost out of the door before she walked over and grabbed the door handle.

"I'll go with you. But only for this one thing," she strictly stated.

Syaoran's amber eyes remained tranquil and undisturbed. He turned his back towards her and replied, "Golden King, 7:00 PM sharp. Wear something casual."

* * *

"You look lovely."

Eriol's tantalizing voice reached Tomoyo's ears and caused her to lift her head to see him. A polite smile graced her porcelain face as she made space on the stone bench for him to sit down. He wore a charming dark blue sweater and simple jeans to top it off, along with stylish shoes. Tomoyo was easily impressed by his fashion sense, as she herself was quite the fashionista. Adorned by a deep violet skirt and a tucked-in white button-up, her look was simple yet pleasing to the eye. The two exchanged a curt greeting before proceeding with their conversation.

"You look very nice too," Tomoyo smiled amiably.

A soft chuckle escaped the ebony-haired man's lips. "I suppose so." As he was opening his lunch box from his bag, he asked, "So, what do you think about that offer that I presented yesterday?"

"Ah, that," she looked up thoughtfully. Tapping her chin, she said in reply, "I think I'll do it."

The young man never seemed so pleased at such an answer.

"Of course, we'll have to talk about practice days and we'll have to work on it together. But I think that your musical talents are quite stellar and would be so honored to work with such an individual." Tomoyo's words rang true and stroked Eriol's hidden ego with her honesty.

"I'm glad that you think that, Miss Daidouji."

A calm breeze blew by and swept past the both of them. The sun was high in the sky in the summer afternoon and heated the campus. With time slowly and quickly running past the two, Eriol found himself focusing more on what she had to say than the food in his lap. Tomoyo could no longer focus hard enough on her homework and had left it long abandoned on the bench. The two students discovered more about each other on the surface level. They had exchanged their likes and dislikes and other things that they had in common. After sitting in conversation for a few minutes, Tomoyo opted to change the topic.

"Could you tell me more about yourself, Mister Hiiragizawa?" she pressed.

Eriol's dark eyebrows furrowed against each other in slight confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'd like to hear what it's like in England. You're from there, right?" She grinned, adding, "Your Japanese is very good."

"Actually, my Japanese is better than my English," he stated in a 'matter-of-fact' tone. "I grew up speaking more Japanese than English in my house."

"Why ever so?"

"I've always wanted to go to Tokyo University, so it was better that I learned how to speak the native language, don't you think?"

Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think so."

"And what about you? Tell me something about yourself that's interesting."

"I'm not sure," she laughed, "I'm not very interesting. What would you like most to hear?"

"Tell me about singing."

Tomoyo's smile faded away to a somber expression as she thought on the seriousness of the topic. "Music," she started, "has always been the center of what I revolve around. You would understand. There's just a certain thing about music that makes it so… touching. So moving. When I sing, it's as if I can fly away from the world and everything here." She paused and took a deep breath until she realized the scratching noise she had heard was from Eriol's pen onto a small notepad. "Are you recording what I'm saying?"

"Mhmm," he nodded, continuing, "it's for the further article that I'm also asked to write." He glanced up at her with his azure eyes, seeming forever genteel.

"You know, we should meet up outside of class sometime, too," she inserted.

"Coffee on Saturday?" he quickly followed up.

"Sure! Let's meet in the afternoon." Her amethyst eyes gleamed with excitement at the sudden appointment. Or perhaps it was something more than that.

* * *

Touya had always been quite the masculine figure that all men seemed to strive so hard for. What came naturally to all of them, however, was the large appetite. He munched on his stack of pancakes with ease as Sakura slowly poked around her own food. The siblings eyed one another strangely in the diner and sat, eating in tranquility. There were very few people in this town off the corner of a busy intersection, much to their pleasure. Touya was quite fond of American food and found pancakes, his favorite, to be enjoyable anytime, regardless of what the clock read. His sister, not so in love with food, chose to get a salad. She was aware that he could read her better than anyone, and perhaps even better than Tomoyo, only because the two had grown together.

"Something on your mind, monster?" He teased, shoving a forkful of the delicious substance into his mouth.

Sakura sent him a quick glare. "No, nothing's on my mind."

"It's that Syaoran Li guy, isn't it?"

"God damn it Touya," she smacked her hand against the table, making it tingle. "He has nothing to do with anything in my life!"

"Correction," he wagged a finger, "he's your boss and controls much of your life. If not him, is it your period?"

Sakura's face flushed a rosy color. She sent a kick to her brother's ankle, making him whimper only slightly. "Just because you're a doctor doesn't mean you need to know anything on my health."

"On the contrary, I'm entitled to knowing a lot of things on your health!" He smiled cheekily and drained his large glass of milk. "Let's go watch a movie tonight. We can bring Yukito and what not."

Yukito, Touya's best friend since the family moved to Tomoeda in his younger years, was still quite close to the both of him. He had succeeded effortlessly to get a job as a journalist and was beginning to publish some of the most probing articles in the papers. Residing in Tokyo as well, it was easy for Touya and Yukito to keep in close touch. As for Sakura, she had not seen him in a few months, and was pleased to hear his name once again in conversation.

Then, she thought of Syaoran's earlier dinner offer.

"I can't go tonight," she almost frowned. "I have a prior arrangement."

Touya couldn't believe it. "What? Since when did you ever have 'prior arrangements?'"

"It's not my fault that Mr. Li asked me to dinner tonight," she replied. Her brother stopped chewing altogether and looked like an idiot at a loss for words. "He says it's to clear up the working environment or something. Figures, since he's such a-"

"No way." Touya seemed to be on the edge of going berserk with a strange, heightened feeling of anger. "I'm not letting you go."

"What?" He was incredulous. "You're kidding me."

"I'm not kidding you."

"Touya, we're not kids! It's not like I'm 12 anymore. I'm 22! I can make decisions all by myself now."

"Yeah, but dinner?" He scowled, seeming quite upset at the concept itself. "I really don't like that. He's some old guy and you're going out with him!"

"Touya, Yukito is an old guy and I've been out with him alone, too."

"Yeah, only by seven ye- Wait…"

Sakura rolled her eyes as he continued to count the years on his hand. "The point is, I'm not dumb. Okay? I'll stay safe and things will be fine."

"Y'know what," he finished his food and continued, "he's still an old guy."

"We'll just see how old he actually is, okay?"

He was almost as diabolic as Syaoran sometimes, Sakura thought.

* * *

The bathroom smelled a great deal too much of hairspray and perfume as Tomoyo curled the last of Sakura's luscious honey locks. Tomoyo was the expert in these sort of things; being raised in a family whose main business was fashion and marketing, it was expected that she would be practiced in this area. Sakura, adorned by a slim black dress and simple golden jewelry, could hardly believed this was Tomoyo's idea of casual. If dolling her up was so much, how much more when the term "formal" floated nearby?

"There!~ You're done!" Tomoyo beamed, a bright smile on her face. She looked at Sakura in the mirror and noticed her small pout.

"I feel stupid," she sighed heavily, bouncing a curl. Tomoyo swatted her hand away.

"Don't touch them! You shouldn't feel stupid. You look great!"

"For a stupid date…" Sakura stood and brushed down her dress with her hands. "I don't understand why this is your idea of casual."

"You'll see, his idea of casual is quite similar." Tomoyo fixed a bobby-pin in her best friend's hair. "This is so exciting! It's only been three days and he's asked you out on a date!"

"You're ridiculous sometimes, you know?" Sakura gave her a strange look with her emerald orbs. "I don't see why it's that big of a deal. I've been out on dates before."

"Yeah, with me, your brother, and Yuki," Tomoyo poked.

"They're still dates!" True, she had never actually gone out on a romantic date. But the honey-haired girl pushed the thought out of her mint. The two made their way to the front door, where Tomoyo had called one of her own personal escorts to drive Sakura. She was rich enough to do that, Sakura reminded herself.

"Hatori will pick you up at 9:00 sharp, or at any time before that. Just give me a call and I'll send him on his way over to you."

"Okay," she puffed, giving a weak smile. For some reason, she felt more nervous to be going out than anything.

Tomoyo nodded her head once and shoved her out of the door. "And don't forget Sakura, control your temper!"

"Temper shemper," Sakura muttered under her breath as she entered the black Cadillac that was her ride. The driver in the front, Hatori, was informed prior of the location of Golden King. With no further words to be spoken, he sped down the streets. Even though there was a flow of traffic that hindered them for a few more minutes, Sakura arrived at the front of the grand, expensive looking restaurant at 6:58 PM. And there, she saw, clad in a black suit, her boss and "date," Syaoran Li.

His hands in his pockets, he strode over to her, his hair combed through by the wind. He looked much like he normally did, with the exception of the black bow-tie that appeared much nicer than his normal skinny French tie. Yet, something about him seemed so fresh, as if he had returned back from a clean shower or a swim. From where Sakura stood, she could smell his soap-like scent as the breeze blew past the both of them. He greeted her with a curt nod. She returned the gesture with a polite enough smile.

"You look nice," she commented. A slow smirk was growing on his face, unbeknownst to him.

"Thank you. You don't look bad yourself."

Syaoran made his way towards the door with Sakura following quickly after him. A young waiter was waiting at his podium for the two and confirmed that it was Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto. In just a few minutes, the two found themselves sitting at a charming table located farthest from the window, upon Syaoran's request. There were golden curtains that draped from the very top of the ceiling which gave the restaurant its expensive aura. A grand piano was located off into the corner and crooned deep melodies in the background. Their menus were placed in front of them and they were left alone for a few minutes. Sakura fidgeted with her dress, as she was not very used to wearing much more than her business outfits, while Syaoran was messaging someone on his phone. The two locked eyes and stubbornly looked away, as if embarrassed by some reason.

"What are you getting?" She asked up, looking over the expensive items on the menu. There were several of her favorites listed, since Sakura had quite the liking for pastas.

Syaoran's amber eyes were reading over his own menu as he decided what he wanted. "I think I'll have pasta."

"Me too. I like pasta a lot. It's my favorite," Sakura confessed.

Soon, the waiter returned to collect their orders. Sakura watched the young man scribble down on his writing pad and only smiled, remembering the times in college when she was placed in the same position. The two were left alone again and sat in silence for a short while. This time, Syaoran was the one who disturbed the atmosphere.

"Do you want wine?" he offered, taking a sip of the water before him.

Sakura shook her head and answered, "I don't drink."

"Huh. Nice to keep in mind."

"Glad you know, so you can't exactly drug me and ra-"

"Sakura," he cooed, his voice raspy and deep, "we're out here to be better friends, right? So we don't say rude things to other friends, yeah?"

"Don't call me by my first name…" Sakura felt childish for being called out on her first name, though it was mostly because it was her boss and the man who irritated her more than anyone else. "Besides, if it's so business like, you should call me by my last name."

Syaoran's eyebrows arched in pure amusement. "And I suppose you think you can't call me by mine?"

Sakura rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "I'm not supposed to, boss," she muttered sarcastically.

"You can, if you want to." His expression seemed so genteel, Sakura couldn't believe it. She was saved by the arrival of their food.

The Fettucini Alfredo that sat in front of her smelled exquisite and tasted even better. Its flavor was rich and quite strong. A meal that was so delicious was, truly, worth the ¥2500 she would pay. Syaoran was busy digging away at his plateful of spaghetti. She took in a couple more bites of the otherworldly cuisine before replying to him.

"Would that help our work environment?" she asked, genuinely curious.

With a serious nod of his head, Syaoran added, "It's supposed to make us feel more open to one another. The saying of another's name is a psychological signal to show that they're willing to speak to them more, I think. Er, that's what I'm told," he replied, his tone much more polite than previous times. He took a bite of his delectable dish and waited for her to speak.

Sakura's expression visibly softened as she took in his words slowly. "Okay, Syaoran…" His name sounded so foreign, as she had never called him by anything more than 'sir,' or 'Mr. Li.'

The CEO smiled and nodded his head. Because he seldom smiled, Sakura hadn't notice how nicely his lips spread to form a happy symbol. "Better. It'll help us be a better team," he followed up.

"Team," she grinned. The dinner was going fairly well. As Sakura helped herself to her food, the conversation ceased for a few minutes. Sakura, being a quick eater, was finished before the tycoon and moved her plate a few inches in front of her.

"You sure do eat a lot," he teased, half-meaning it.

"At least I'm not a twig."

"I don't know, you're still really flat to me." It was a struggle to stifle his quiet laugh.

"You seem so obsessed with my chest," she haughtily attempted to turn it against him. Syaoran only wiggled his eyebrow and winked his eye.

"Sure, if you want to think that."

It drove Sakura up the wall, and every kind thing he had done up until that point went through the imaginary window in Sakura's mind. "How often do you switch between your split personas?"

"As often as you piss me off," he coolly replied, taking a long drink of his ice cold water. Sakura could feel the fork being bent under her tightening grip.

"I hate you," she grumbled before stuffing her face with another bite of the alfredo. Even though Syaoran had started before her, she was almost finished with her food.

"Listen to me," he began, tapping Sakura's foot gently to get her attention.

"As soon as you quit playing footsy," Sakura glared.

The tycoon rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "You're so conceited. I have an assignment for us both."

"What now?" Sakura's voice was filled with curiosity, though she tried to mask it with indifference.

With a deep sigh, he pronounced, "We're going to be hosting a huge event next week. I need your help with the planning and arrangement."

"What exactly is going on?"

"The president of our rival company is coming up from Hong Kong to discuss deals and other future plans." Taking a quick bite of his food, he continued, "He wants to keep the ties between us close."

"I thought your goal was to monopolize everything under your control," Sakura responded, half-serious. Pushing her empty plate in front of her, she leaned back slightly in her chair, feeling full.

"It is," he nodded. "But it's okay if our rivalry runs for a little bit. I'm going to be CEO for a while, you know."

"And I'll have to be your assistant through it all." Eyeing the rest of the room, Sakura avoided Syaoran's eyes.

With knitted eyebrows, the chestnut-haired man replied, "We'll discuss it Monday. But we're definitely going to have to work hard on this."

Arching an eyebrow, Sakura replied, "I'm willing to work hard on it. If you give me a raise."

He muttered, "Done."

Surprised by his quick decision, she leaned in and asked, "Are you joking?"

"I actually need you to work on this with me this time," he sighed, exasperated.

Pondering the matter, Sakura tilted her head to the side. Aware that it would require long hours spent after their normal shift, she was, initially, unsure if she could work with such an uncooperative person. Her emerald eyes looked intently at him, and for a while, she sat, unmoved and focused only on the man before her. With a small sigh, she answered him. "Deal."

"Good. So, we'll get started on Monday. If you actually show up on time."

"You're ruining it."

"Oh, and Sakura?" He turned his eyes back to her and winked, surprising her.

Unknowingly holding her breath, she said, "Yeah?"

"You've got some pasta on your dress."

**A/N:** So, what did you think about it? Is bipolar Syaoran too much? I had fun writing this one. Until the next update!


End file.
